Shops in Delhi face downturn amid COVID-hit festive season

New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Sweet shop owners and shops selling gifts, who normally do brisk business during the festive season, feel adversely impacted by the situation created by COVID-19 and say that the footfall is far less than what they witnessed during the festive season last year.
While talking to ANI, many of them said that they are hoping that the sales will pick up further as Diwali nears and people come out to purchase sweets and gifts.
Varjesh Aggarwal, managing director of Bengali sweets shop in the Bengali market of the national capital said as of now there is no movement in the market.
"The footfall is still very weak. We aren't doing more than 45 to 50 per cent of the average sales of what we did during this season. People are staying at their homes due to COVID-19 pandemic. We are hoping that people will come to purchase sweets for Diwali," he said.
Another sweet shop owner in the Bengali market, Girish Agarwal said that as far as sales are concerned, they have been drastically reduced.
"There is a fear among the people and we are also afraid of COVID-19. WHO and AIIMS director Randeep Guleria have also said that the coronavirus cases will rise in winter," he said.
"I believe that unless Diwali or any festival comes, the situation cannot be normal. If we compare last year to this year, we are incurring a loss because the expenses are the same but sales are very low. Diwali is near but this time we have not received any big order yet," he added.
Sales of shops selling gift items have also taken a hit amid COVID-19.
"Due to COVID-19, our gift shop suffered a lot, even now in this festive season sales haven't improved. We can only hope that our business will pick up in the upcoming festive season," said Rajesh, a gift shop owner in Laxmi Nagar, Delhi. (ANI)